Pondering which wine goes well with Candy Corn...

Thoughts?


Happy Halloween!


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What would the world be like without Robert Parker?







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• Did it suck?
  
  
• Was it what you expected?
  
  
• What did you like/dislike?
  
  
• Would you buy it again?
  
  
• What did it remind you of?

- VS -
(left photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid)

On Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 8:24 AM, Gary Vaynerchuk wrote:
hahah :) def man, lets do this email me oct 25th and we will nail down details for nov!

--
Gary Vaynerchuk

It was a trip of a lifetime and a 30th birthday that I'll never forget. I can't think of any better way to spend my birthday than cruising through the Crus of Bordeaux. While I couldn't take everyone along with me to enjoy the celebration, I have put together a slide show chronicling my adventures in this far away wine country...

Pour a glass of wine, sit back, and enjoy the show!

Terroir - Originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon particular varieties. Agricultural sites in the same region share similar soil, weather conditions, and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of the crop. It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place," which is embodied in certain characteristic qualities, the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product.


Rather than bore you with a wine review flavored with repetitive rhetoric of cherries, red currants, and other not so descriptive wine bullshit, I figured I would try something new. This time, I would like to discover the ancestry of a particular bottle of wine: its terroir.

I learned something very important while cruising the Crus of Bordeaux. When it comes to French red wines three things are important: the landscape, the age of the vines, and the aging/fermenting techniques (i.e. barrel types and duration). Despite the fact that vines and technique are important, the French seem to believe that terroir has the most weight amongst the three. Whenever I would ask about different vintages or techniques or even winemakers, I was constantly reminded that it is the terroir that makes the wine. In other words, while vines and wine making techniques influence the process, ultimately the landscape determines taste of the wine. The French firmly believe in this philosophy. In fact, terroir is the reason for the strict division of land into appellations or regions. Instead of making wine from the land, it is the land that makes the wine.


This got me thinking... why shouldn't the same philosophy be true in the United States. Although we don't have strict regulations around wine regions like the French do, we should still be able to taste the influence of the terroir on the wine.

I thought about this as I drank a bottle of the newest release of Cabernet from Napa Valley made by X Winery. While I have to admit that I enjoyed the wine and found it priced fairly (~$25/bottle), I still wondered about its roots, its heritage, its terroir...

• What makes the landscape of this bottle of wine unique and/or special?
  
  
• What was X Winery's thought process around constructing this Cabernet when it came to choosing the grapes or even the final blend?
  
  
• What's the typical age of the vines used to make this bottle of wine?
  
  
• What else went into this bottle of wine that I would never even think to ask about?

The valley is divided up into 14 sub-appellations. Each area has distinct microclimates that range from cool mountain - influenced temperatures to moderately warm temperatures (90 degrees or above). These sub-appellations have unique soils that vary from volcanic to alluvial, in turn creating special growing environments for this King of grapes.

Like all good 80's movies, my trip to Europe wouldn't be complete without a music montage. This particular montage chronicles my journey from Tampa to Amsterdam set to Eric Clapton's "Cocaine". Despite the Palsy shakes and ridiculously fast screen pans, there are some great shots of this canal city and many of its wonderful sites. Pour a glass of wine or your favorite beer and enjoy!

I was going through the videos and pictures that I captured from my trip and found this gem...

One night, after a couple bottles of wine, I retreated to my hotel room in Bordeaux to bask in the warmth of the boob tube. As luck would have it, none of the channels were in English. Frustratedly flipping through one French channel after another, I ran into something even more horrifying than the thought of Foie Gras: South Park en Francais!

I know a little French, and I can honestly say that something was lost in translation (I apologize in advance for the poor audio quality and Parkinson's video quality... as I previously admitted, this was shot after a generous amount of wine):

I spend a lot of time thinking. I think about what makes wine taste good... I think about what I enjoy reading... and I think about what other people enjoy reading about wine. Like all well planned quests for knowledgesearches, my search for information about wine began on the internet. Not only is this information superhighway great for free porn and social networking sites, but it also has a lot of great information about the grape.

When it comes to free wine info, the internet offers two outlets: blogs and winery websites. I follow a great deal of both. While there are a lot of great websites out there, every single one has positive and negative qualities. Everything from spelling errors, crappy photography, and run on reviews plague many wine websites floating around the internet today. My blog is certainly no exception.

What is the RIGHT way to blog/write about wine?

Since it is Saturday afternoon, and I have a pounding headache (sadly not from too much wine), I figured I would open up the discussion. What do you like about wine websites or blogs? What do you hate? Provide examples anonymously if you are afraid of upsetting people... believe me, they'll thank you for the constructive criticism in the end.




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Aside from wicked jetlag, a bad hangover, and a minor case of the swine flu, I am glad to finally be back home. Nothing beats that moment when you finally arrive home, open the front door and welcome back a whining cat, piles of laundry, and mountains of email messages. Well, there is only one other part of traveling that matches the excitement of returning to the mundane: flying.

Here are the top ten reasons why you should NOT fly this holiday season:

10) Layovers - No, I do NOT want to wait six hours in Newark, NJ much less some crappy airport whose biggest claim to fame is its collection of overpriced Chinese made shot glasses and t-shirts. Do you REALLY think I want to remember being in your city for six hours, let alone tell my friends about it when I get home?

9) Airport food - The most money you'll ever spend to eat with plastic forks and knives. I don't care how much they try to make these utensils look real, you'll know you're eating with plastic as soon as your fork breaks in half when trying to stab a cold, wilted, sad excuse for a french fry they also tried to pawn off on you.

8) Overnight flights - People who sleep on planes must be either really drunk or just enjoy being tortued. My feet may be falling asleep from lack of circulation, but there is no other part of my body that is capable of doing this while sitting up. Pass me the bottle!

7) Screaming children - Need I say more?

6) Screaming adults - I'd rather be barfed on by the toddler two rows over than have to listen to some a-hole next to me yell at the flight attendant. Dude, you've already had eight packets of peanuts... give it a rest!

5) Airplane food - Apparently the FDA neglects governing any food served over 1000 feet in the air. This is by far the worst free food you will ever be offered. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the food you pay for is any better either. It just costs more.

4) Customs Bag Check - I am convinced that this part of traveling is a ploy to get people to pay $5 for one of those luggage carts. Oh yeah, this is also the part of where you can collect worthless illegible stamps in your passport book. Talk about high-tech... With all of technology available today, we are using stamps to track people? Really?

3) Security checkpoints - How come I need a body cavity search if I can still get a cigarette lighter on-board by leaving it in my pocket? Don't believe me? Try it for yourself.

2) Airplane bathrooms - Am I alone on this one? No matter how many times I do it, I am still always scared that I'll get sucked out of the plane every time I have to flush one of these shoddy airplane toilets. Also, should I really be washing my hands with something that isn't safe to drink?

1) Delays - I've only had this happen a few times yet it always seems to happen when I absolutely MUST catch my connecting flight. My advice: plan for the worst. If it's your honeymoon or some other important event, leave plenty of time between connecting flights. After all, this will give you more time to enjoy #9 and #10.

Hello Everyone!

I have tons of great pictures and videos stored on my laptop but due to the absorbant costs of wine and internet, I haven't had a chance to post them yet. Tomorrow is my 30th birthday and I will be spending it in none other than the land of red wine, otherwise known as Bordeaux. Although I already miss the taste of American fast food, and California Cabnernet, I am having a great time in Europe. It has been a crazy yet awesomely fun trip so far... and I think I am about to hit the best part.

Despite the fact that I have been a lousy blogger for the last week while I have been overseas, I promise to make it up for it when I get home. I have had some interesting affairs which have changed the way I see life, society, wine, and the world. As soon as I can get past my jetlag, hangovers, and hours of crappy flights, I will tell the story behind my European affairs.

Hope you are all drinking enough wine for me while I am gone!

Cheers!







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I don’t know which was worse: being trapped in Minnesota for an expected overnight stay, or being crammed into coach for a cramped eight hour flight. With only one day of sightseeing allotted for this canal city, I had no choice but to trek around Amsterdam without any sleep. After all, this was a once in a lifetime trip and there would be plenty of time to sleep when I get home. As the plane pulled up to the gate at 6am local time (midnight according to my internal clock), I couldn’t wait to see all of the sights, sounds, and smells of Holland.

This city reminded me of a cross between Manhattan and Venice with its tall narrow brownstone looking facades lining its many canals. With all of the trams, taxi, and bicycles flying down the streets, navigating this city is like playing a game of Frogger. I had to watch every stop so as to avoid getting run over while walking around this busy city. It was a little unnerving at first but once I figured out how to read the signs and street markings, I quickly adjusted.

Aside from hookers and hash, Amsterdam’s narrow streets, cafes, and corridors hold much to discover. My journey started out somberly at the Anne Frank house. This tall yet narrow structure is filled with steep staircases, hidden passageways, and a deeply moving story about what it was like living in hiding during Nazi rule. Little conversation could be heard in this home aside from the multilingual mouthing from the strategically positioned television sets. It was as if the story could be felt more than it could be heard.

Passing through the many shops, stores, and cafes on the way, I headed to my next stop: the Van Gogh museum. There were four floors of this impressionist artist’s paintings to observe. Although I enjoyed looking at them all, I didn’t waste time pondering each paint stroke. I finished this tour quite early despite the fact that it should have taken three hours to complete. There was too much city to be seen before I would run out of steam. At this point I had been up for over 24 hours and I was struggling to keep my eyes open and wits intact.

There is one well known place in this city that is different than any other place in the world. You’ll know you’ve stumbled across this area of town when you look in a window and realize that a half naked woman is staring right back at you. With their characteristic reddish glow, the stores lining the Red Light District bring new meaning to the term “window shopping”. These stores had goods of varying degrees of quality. While there were many attractive women to behold, there were many others that I would hope would never go the beach in a bikini, let alone stand half naked selling their body in public. These less desirable escorts must be considering the bargain basement of the Red Light District.

After 32 hours without sleep, it was finally time to retire. I fell asleep thinking about my day of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll and wishing that it would never end. I would definitely come back to visit this town. Hopefully next time my stay won’t be abbreviated by maintenance delays from the airlines. My biggest complaint about Amsterdam, aside from the less attractive hookers, would be the shortage of good wine. I stuck to beer for the most part while visiting this city figuring that I would save the wine for the rest of my trip. After all, where else in the world would you be able to find better wine than France?

After a well deserved rest, I am typing this as I watch Holland blur by the window from my seat on the EuroTrain. Next stop: Paris. Enough staring at a computer screen while on vacation… It’s now time for me to see if they are serving any wine on this train.

Cheers!

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So far, things are not going well...

My departure started on a good foot. I was packed and ready to go at the airport three hours prior so there would be no way I could miss my flight. Finally the time came to board the plane... it would only be a matter of hours before I would land in Amsterdam. Little did I know that NWA/Delta had different plans.

I started to get concerned once I realized that I was sitting on the plane past the takeoff time. My fears were confrmed by the captain announcing "maintenance issues". 15 minutes turned into an hour and before I knew it, I had already missed my conecting flight to Amsterdam. With no other connecting flights availble until the next day, my only choice was to proceed to the wonderful city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not quite what I had in mind.

Although I should be halfway to Amsterdam right now, I am writing this as I sit in my room at the Holiday Inn in Minneapolis. Pissed off, tired, and worm out from a day of hanging around at the airport... I'll wake up tomorrow and give this trip a second shot... please hope that nothing else going wrong or else I fear I'll never get out of the US.

Any guesses on where the next screw up will take me? How about Arizona!

Hopefully my next post will be from Amsterdam... stay tuned!



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It's finally time... My trip is about to begin!

I'll be boarding a plane to head to none other than Minneapolis, Minnesota for a quick layover before heading to the canal city of Amsterdam. Unfortunately, there's no internet available in the air. That means no twitter, facebook, email, or other computer crack to keep me busy over the next 24 hours. The shakes from i-withdrawal are already starting.

My first day will be excitingly packed with jet-lagged fun. I'll be landing in Amsterdam at around noon local time. This will be six hours ahead of my usual Eastern time zone but with any luck (and the help of copious amounts of Unisom, alcohol, and ear plugs) I'll sleep through this overnight flight.

Although I'll be plotting most of my first day in the Dam while flying through the air, some stops have already been determined. Once I hit the ground, I plan to hit some sights (and maybe even a coffee shop or two) before heading to the Blue Pepper to dine at only one of nine tables for an amazing eight course meal.

If I am sober enough to work a keyboard, I'll make sure to post pics, videos, and whatever else I collect from my first day of travels... Stay tuned!




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While getting ready for my European trip two questions are running through my mind:

Which wine goes well with packing?

Is there a good wine bar at any of my airport layovers?


I'll be flying overseas tomorrow but come back every day next week for pics, videos, and other fun tidbits from my overseas journey!

Cheers!



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Despite the fact that I should have been getting ready for my trip, I took a break last night. Meeting up in Orlando with two fellow wine bloggers made for a perfect pre-vacation pastime. In attendance: Frank Morgan from DrinkWhatYouLike, Brian Kirby from The Other 46, and a great selection of wines by the taste, glass, or bottle compliments of the Wine Room.

We tasted two bottles: a French white and a California Pinot Noir:



First Bottle:

Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre 2007
Price - $23/bottle

This wine reminded me of playing tackle football as a child. Fond memories of a face full of grass and dirt after getting pummeled came flooding into my senses. Much like these childhood days of play, this wine taught me a valuable lesson: don't drink your whites too chilled. The true personality doesn't come out unless you melt the icicles from which it is hiding behind. In this bottle's case, it should have kept hiding. I felt compelled to finish my affair despite the fact that I found my mate unattractive, boring, and abrasive.












Second Bottle:

Belle Glos Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2007
Price - $50/bottle

This Pinot packed a fragrantly fruity punch but tasted more like a train wreck. Unbalanced acidity and alcohol painfully fought for my taste buds until the last drop was decimated. This Pinot had great potential but needed a serious time-out in a decanter before even thinking about hanging around in my glass. With its relatively high pricetag, I felt slightly used when it came to this affair.













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As a Wine Whore, I became very concerned to find out about this newest development. Earlier this week quite a buzz stirred up about the FTC imposing fines on internet bloggers who don't properly disclose the sources of their samples/reviews. This controversy is not what I am concerned about. Obviously, this won't be a problem for a wine lover like myself whose whoredom is clearly exposed. Not only do I believe that accepting samples in no way taints my viewpoint, I think that the transparency in my sources and motives enables me to be even MORE honest in my reviews and posts. In fact, the whole process is quite liberating.

I was shocked to hear earlier today that there has been a new disturbing turn of events that WILL affect me. Apparently, the IRS has decided to crack down on whores like myself who accept wine samples. Such samples are now going to be considered a personal benefit which will be TAXED!!!

You read that right!

Now I am going to have to pay taxes on my one benefit and livelihood: free wine. Since I have already received over 200 bottles of wine, this could easily add up to a great deal of taxes which I would be unable to cover considering the minimal revenue coming in from this site. This tax burden could easily shut down myself and all of the other wine whores out there that are just trying to make an honest living.

Help spread the word about this injustice... help rally support against this taxation and keep the wine bloggers in business!



Disclaimer: This post and all of the information contained is 100% fiction. Then again, if you trust EVERYTHING you read on the internet without validating the source or the information being presented, you probably also believe that Michael Jackson is still alive, we are surrounded by aliens, and William Hung actually WON American Idol.

Cheers!



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David Letterman isn't the only person with skeletons in his closet (or in my case, wine cellar). While there are some things that I am proud to admit, there are many others I hope never to recount. After another week of affairs with wine, it is time to report back my findings... the good, not bad, and the UGLY!



The Good:

Hitching Post St. Rita's Earth Pinot Noir 2006
Price - $30/bottle

After last week's Pinot throwdown, I am still weary about this fickle grape. I recognized this bottle's name from the movie Sideways and also remembered that it came highly recommended during last week's discussion. From the moment my nose approached the glass, I was seduced. Lots of great fruit and a very well balanced structure made this Pinot a pleasure. I'm going to seek out other Hitching Post Pinots to see if they are as good but this one definitely is worth a second affair!




The Not Bad:

Rudera South Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Price - $30/bottle

While everyone is familiar with the many Cabs from California, South Africa is a foreign place for me when it comes to this full bodied grape. This particular bottle came off gritty and grotesquely different than any other Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever had. I enjoyed it with a nice rich steak but had a little trouble drinking it on its own. This was definitely a strange yet unforgettable affair.




The Ugly:

Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill
Price - $3/bottle

Let me just start by saying that this bottle was given to me as a joke after my post about Gateway Grapes. I don't know if it was all of the old memories that came back to me, the three bottles of wine already pumping through my veins, or just the need to get rid of this bottle as fast as possible... I instantly tore of the cap and began chugging this hideously flavored strawberry wine until it was all gone. I can honestly say that when I woke up the next day and saw this empty bottle perched on my kitchen counter, I couldn't help but regret what I had done. I felt cheap and dirty to say the least.




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I was talking to my buddy Nate earlier today and it got me thinking...

How would you fill in the blank:

"Wine is like .... "





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There is going to be some great wine in my future... I can just feel it!

As I mentioned yesterday, this week is all about getting prepared for my European journey. The excitement is almost too much to stand. As a red wine lover, there's one part of my trip that I am especially excited about. For those of you following along at home, here is what I will be up to during my stay in Bordeaux.




Day One

I'll arrive at the Bordeaux St Jean train station, grab a taxi and check into my hotel, the Bordeaux Regent. This night is for the Wine Whore and the Mrs. to enjoy on our own. Got any food suggestions?




Day Two

Today will start nice and early: 9am. For those of you who follow my tweets, you know that I LOVE to sleep in. Well, this isn't a trip to take lying down. There's way too much that I want to cram into my time in Bordeaux to waste time in bed.

The day will start at Classified Growth Chateau Haut Bailly on the left band of the River Garonne, south of Bordeaux in the commune of Pessac-Léognan - home to all the Graves Crus Classés.

Next stop, Medoc located on the left bank of the Gironde Estuary in Bordeaux. Lunch break and then it's off to Chateau Grand-Puy Lacoste and then Chateau Rauzan Segla in the commune of Margaux.

After all of this excitement, it's back to the hotel for an evening of food wine and whatever other trouble I can find. Oh yeah, did I mention that today will also be my birthday! Finally 30 years old... I wonder what bottle of wine I should order to celebrate. Suggestions welcomed!



Day Three

Another early morning as I head to Pomerol for a tour and tasting at Chateau Bourgneuf Vayeron where I will also have the chance to meet the one and only Mm. Vayeron. I hear she has been dying to meet the Wine Whore as much as I am excited to meet her!

From there I head to St. Emilion which has been known since Roman times for the quality of its wines. The village and vineyards of St. Emilion are classed today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I am surprised such a famous place is allowing me to visit... I'll try to be on my best behavior but I can't promise anything.

I'll be touring around this city before I head to a tour and tasting at one of the finest chateaux of St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe Chateau Larmande. The visit to this city will conclude with a tour and tasting at Chateau Troplong-Mondot. After a long day of much wine, I'll be let lose to explore and enjoy my last full day in Bordeaux.


Day Four
As the French say, "au revoir"! If I don't come back, you'll know that I decided to stay in Bordeaux forever... is there a French word for Wine Whore?




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Living in Tampa, FL makes it difficult to get excited about Fall. Aside from the fact that the sweltering heat lessons from 95+ degrees during the day to a cool 85+ degrees, nothing usually changes. This year, however, things are going to be different. Despite the fact that this change of season is wasted on Florida, this October is going to be an exciting month.

Two important things are about to change!

Not only am I turning 30 years old, but I am also about to cross another item off of my bucket list. Look out Chevy Chase, this is going to be an overseas excursion that is sure to rival even the biggest of Wally World adventures.... I am about to make my first trip to Europe. Life as I know it will never be the same.

Planning out this trip was a difficult task. I want to see as much as possible without feeling rushed. That's why I decided to focus my visit to the following three places:



Amsterdam

What better place for a Wine Whore than this Dutch city of canals. Home to legal prostitution and marijuana, Amsterdam is sure to be a great start to my trip. Hopefully the space cakes and purple haze fades in time for me to catch the train to the next stop on my tour.




Paris

Home to crepes, the Eiffel Tower, and excellent WINE!!! I'll be soaking in all of the sights and sounds of this Parisian paradise as I sip away on some of the finest vino in the world. This may be the city of romance but there is only one place fit to be called my one true love...






Bordeaux

How could I call myself a wine lover without stopping in the infamous red wine region of Bordeaux? I'll be taking a guided tour of some of the best estates this region has to offer. Tomorrow, I'll post the full tour schedule including exactly which estates I'll be visiting. Stay tuned!







Like all things in life, there is some bad news. While I am away, I won't have access to all of my usual communication channels such as Facebook, twitter, email, etc. I'll make sure to respond to any emails, birthday wishes, or other notes as soon as I get back to the States. Now for the good news... while I am away, I will have my new HD Flip video camera on me at all times. Now I'll be able to share my overseas affair with you while I am gone.

While I am away, be sure to check back daily for pics, videos, and other fun snippets from my trip. I can't wait for my vacation to begin!!!


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Last night I did something that I should have done a long time ago. I finally went to see one of my all-time favorite bands in concert: Metalica. Here's what they had to say about it:

I am psyched!

Ever since I was a little kid, there was one band that I always loved. Their music was what inspired me to learn how to play the guitar. In fact, even today, I can play almost all of their songs. While there was a period of time that I wasn't the biggest fan of their music, they have since made a comeback with their newest album.



The band: Metallica!

Tonight I am going to do something I should have done a long time ago. I am going to my first Metallica concert. I know, kinda late. Better late than never! I also just got a new HD Flip. I'll try to see if I can get some pics/footage of tonight metal massacre to share with you all tomorrow.

I wonder which wine goes best with Metallica? Merlot... maybe even a full bodied Cab... what do you think?






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Despite the fact that I am still weary about drinking Pinot Noir, I am feeling pretty good today. Not only is the end of the week upon us, but I have some great news to announce very soon. Before I do that, I must share the intimate details about last night's affair.

I have always had a fear of heights. Even a mere couple of feet off of the ground is more than I wish to enjoy. Ladders, balconies, and even escalators used to make me shake. That all changed when I was a teenager and started working as a stock boy at Walgreens. Outside of the store was one of those gigantic signs towering hundreds of feet in the air. Ok, it was more like 20 feet, but that's not the point. Every week, one lucky stock boy was awarded the opportunity to scale this monster to change out the message of the week. For most of the stock boys, this was an unpleasant task due to the sweltering Florida heat. For me, this hatred was intensified by my fear of heights. The first time I did it, I was not happy. My reward for a job well done: the opportunity to do it EVERY week for the next three months. Lucky me! Despite the fact that I was made to perform this task against my will, I actually gained something valuable. By facing my fear, I quickly lost my fear of heights. I was finally cured!

What does all of this have to do about wine?

In an attempt to conquer my paranoia about Pinot Noir, I held back my fears and tasted two bottles from my cellar. In the end, I still have my apprehensions about this grape but I did learn a lot about my fears. Although I still haven't found what I consider to be my ideal tasting bottle, I figured out exactly which characteristics I am looking for. One day this knowledge will bring me closer to finding it.




La Rochelle Monterey Pinot Noir 2006 ~$24/bottle
This Pinot packed a lot of structure but lacked that sweet cola taste I crave. A bit hot and offensive when first opened, but calmed down after some air and patience on my part. Not bad for $24 a bottle but not a bottle I would personally choose to take on a second date.










Cuvaison Block Carneros F5 Pinot Noir 2006 ~$45/bottle
This Pinot was loaded with structure, character, and fruit. This bottle also needed a bit of decanting but opened up into a dry wine with nice tannins after about an hour. For the style of Pinot Noir, this one was made very well. Besides the difference of $20, there was also a noticeable difference in quality between the two wines. This wine had a much nicer finish that seemed to never give up. I also enjoyed the balance and character of this wine much more than the first bottle. Neither wine however had that round cola taste I was hoping for. My search continues...



In case you missed the tasting, here's the re-run. You can click the dots on the playbar in the video to fast forward to the clips of each wine: